In English - Abstract

Tornio Valley Summer Whitefish is a joint development project of the stakeholders worried about the loss of traditional fishing culture and whitefish in Tornio Valley. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the attractiveness of the unique traditional fishing culture in Tornio Valley. The aim is to increase the knowledge of fish and cultural heritage among fishermen, inhabitants, entrepreneurs, and in particular among young people. The project will enhance the better conditions for fishing culture, and enhance the Tornio River whitefish population and its sustainable management.

The project supports action line 3.1, strengthening culture and cultural heritage of the region, among residents and in particular among young people. Modern technology will be utilized in making culture and heritage visible. In addition inhabitants, fishermen and researchers learn better sustain the fish population and the surrounding nature.

The initiative to start the project has been taken by local people. The preparation of the project has been carried out mainly by over 200 volunteers lead by Prosiika ry, including fishermen, inhabitants, businesses and experts.

Tornio Valley Summer Whitefish project is a unique cross-border entity supporting research of nature resources and sustainment of fishing tradition of the Tornio River Valley. The project enhances vital river valley in a sustainable way, and maps out the possibilities to include the region in Unesco World Heritage list someday. The project also provides information on how to sustain fish population as part of the national whitefish research program. The project will utilize previous materials of possible other projects, and develops new material by collecting data and stories from local people, museums and media.

The main applicant is Lapland University of Applied Sciences, and partners are Natural Resources Institute (Luke), County Administrative Board of Norrbotten/ Vatten och Fiskeenheten, Tornedalens folkhögskola, Haparanda City/ Fishing museum and Tornio City. In addition to Prosiika ry, there are several fishing associations, village associations and businesses cooperating in the project, not to mention Tornio museum, Norbotten museum, Union for Rural Education and Culture, Finnish-Swedish transboundary river commission, Tornedalsrådet and municipalities of Ylitornio and Övertorneå.

Kukkola fishing museum exhibition will be further developed to cross borders, and the future Nature Centrum of Tornio Valley will be planned. Material developed within the project will be utilized in modernization.

The information and communication activities enhance the cultural attractiveness of the region among various target groups. Potential experience services that will be developed as an outcome of project activities may further the vitality of the tourism sector in the area.

The spawning of the whitefish in river Tornionjoki has delayed with month within the past 30 years. At the same time, the average size has become smaller. The aim of the study is to produce more knowledge of the early ascending whitefish in the river Tornionjoki in order to help the exploitation of stock to follow the sustainable development. This helps safeguarding the endangered whitefish stock and allows reasonable fishing in the river and in the sea. The research responds to the needs specified in MMM’s whitefish work group's final report in 2012.

The project costs are around € 1.4 million. The duration of the project is three years, December 2015 - November 2018. Financing is applied from EU’s Interreg North program (65%) and national financing is applied of different national actors in addition to the partners own input to the project. Also fishing associations, village associations, businesses and other actors finance the project, and commit to the volunteer work needed in implementation of different events and productions. Volunteer work is not included in the budget.